if i were israel, i would be seeking to physically take control of the transit routes out of iraq to prevent the movement of weapons into syria, lebanon and gaza. i would put a focus on taking control of the entry points at the iraq-syria border.

the region is mostly desert, and largely unpopulated, besides with isis barbarians. i think that would be justifiable as self-defense, and largely harmless in terms of inflicting actual damage on anybody worth caring about.